Peterborough United must contain League One's 'best player' to keep their play-off push on track

Swiss striker Lorent Tolaj, the joint top scorer in League One this season with 12 goals, is the man in question. ‘The Pilgrims’ signed him from League One basement club Port Vale for £1 million last summer.

Plymouth also signed winger Ronan Curtis from Vale last week and are actively seeking a new central defender after key man Julio Pleguezuelo was ruled out for four weeks by a calf injury. Former Posh loanee defender Bali Mumba left Plymouth for Huddersfield this week.

Tolaj scored in a 4-3 Vertu Trophy win at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday when Curtis was credited with three assists on his debut. Cleverley was shown a red card that - as was Rovers boss Steve Evans – and now faces a third touchline ban of the season.

Posh striker Harry Leonard is only four goals behind Tolaj. He has been heavily backed to finish as League One’s top scorer in recent weeks according to Oddschecker. Leonard is 14-1 to win the Golden Boot, He was 80-1 before Luke Williams arrived at London Road. Leonard has scored all eight of his League One goals since the change of manager at London Road.

League One top scorers: 12 Tolaj, Yousef Salech (Cardiff), Dom Ballard (Orient); 11 Kyle Wootton (Stockport), Davis Keillor-Dunn (Barnsley); 10 Ashley Fletcher (Blackpool), Leo Castledine (Huddersfield); 8 Leonard, Lewis Wing (Reading), Aaron Connolly (Orient), Jack Marriott (Reading), Jamie Reid (Stevenage), Jayden Wareham (Exeter), Gideon Kodua (Luton).

CURRENT FORM

Plymouth are unbeaten in their last four away games in League One. They’ve won three of them at Port Vale (1-0), Doncaster (5-1) and Wycombe (1-0) while also coming from behind to draw at Stevenage (1-1). They’ve lost just one of their last seven League One games, 1-4 at home to Reading on Boxing Day.

Posh have won three and drawn one of their last four home games.

PAST MEETINGS

Posh have won the last two EFL games with Plymouth at the Weston Homes Stadium. It was 5-2 against a team heading for the League One title in February, 2023 and 1-0 in another third tier game in November 2020. Jonson Clarke-Harris scored twice in the 5-2 win and the only goal in the 2020 success. Hector Kyprianou, Harrison Burrows and Jack Taylor also netted in 2023.

Plymouth last won this fixture in February 2019 when a goal two minutes from time secured a League One victory after Posh star Lee Tomlin had been sent off in the first half.

Overall Posh have won nine and lost just four of 15 meetings.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Ben Atkinson referees Posh for the first time since a 4-2 win at Blackpool in October 2023 on Saturday.

BIG MATCH ODDS

Posh are even money to beat Plymouth with Sky Bet. Plymouth are 23-10 to win with the draw priced at 12-5.